Director of Continuous Improvement

Role Overview

This key leadership position is responsible for advancing Continuous Improvement and Lean Manufacturing strategies within multiple manufacturing and distribution locations across North America. The role focuses on fostering a culture committed to ongoing operational enhancement, increasing efficiency, and boosting productivity with measurable impacts.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leadership and cross-departmental teams such as operations, product management, sales, supply chain, and customer experience to pinpoint enterprise-wide opportunities for improvement.
• Lead the execution of major organization-wide initiatives aimed at improving quality, reducing operational costs, and optimizing delivery performance.
• Regularly report to senior executives on the status, challenges, and successes related to continuous improvement projects.
• Create and roll out a comprehensive global continuous improvement strategy aligned with corporate operational objectives.
• Work alongside site leadership to integrate Lean Manufacturing principles to remove waste and improve manufacturing and distribution workflows, enhancing flow, shortening lead times, and heightening product quality.
• Guide project teams in applying Lean and Six Sigma methodologies effectively during project delivery.
• Drive efforts to standardize and replicate successful improvement programs across North American sites.
• Research and benchmark cutting-edge industry practices to foster innovation in manufacturing and distribution processes.
• Develop performance dashboards and operating rhythms to communicate progress and effects of initiatives to relevant stakeholders and leadership.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of continuous improvement specialists, nurturing a high-performance environment aimed at operational excellence.
• Identify and cultivate talent within the organization to establish a pipeline for future continuous improvement leaders.
• Function as a catalyst for change, encouraging a mindset oriented toward continuous improvement and operational efficiency throughout the enterprise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or similar field; advanced degrees are advantageous.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in manufacturing or distribution settings, including at least 5 years in leadership roles concentrating on continuous improvement or Lean Manufacturing implementations.
• Proven success in steering large-scale enterprise initiatives with significant business impact.
• Extensive expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, and related continuous improvement frameworks; required Black Belt certification and preferred Master Black Belt credential.
• Ability to travel domestically up to 25% to visit manufacturing and distribution locations as necessary.

Core Competencies

• Strategic vision proficiency to formulate and drive continuous improvement initiatives at a global level.
• Strong influencing capabilities to engage stakeholders across multiple organizational tiers.
• Exceptional communication skills, capable of simplifying complex concepts and strategies for diverse audiences.
• Expertise in change management, adept at leading cultural transformations centered on continuous improvement.
• Advanced analytical aptitude to solve complex problems using data-driven decision making.
• Leadership qualities to inspire, guide, and elevate teams towards operational excellence.